Peas and Carrots

Saturday was a busy day. A family reunion, including a photo shoot for Vern's great-grandma, grocery shopping & giving Elijah his first "official" solid food. (Just shy of 6 months and so ready.)
He liked the peas on Saturday, tolerated the carrots on Sunday and enjoyed peas again yesterday. I wonder what I should feed him today.

Quiet

I am not behind on the news. I've been hearing & reading the same sad stories about the devastation in New Orleans as everyone else. About the aftermath of Katrina. People suffering unimaginably right here, a few states over. My husband buys gas too. I am not unaware.
Everyone seems to be talking about it, everywhere I go. Some are sad, some are mad - some just trying to make sense of it all.
I have yet to say a word to anyone. It's not that I am unaffected. Or uncaring. I don't feel the need to weigh in my 2 cents. I am so sorry about what so many people are going through, yet that somehow feels inadaquate.
I just want it to be understood that when things are overwhelming and sad I may choose to be quiet. It's not because I don't care. It's because I do.

Woof!

I feel like I flunked at the idiosyncrasy thing because I didn't come up with different stuff than I'd usually say. Now that I'm following it around on other's blogs & actually learning fun little things about people I think I should have thought about it longer. Maybe I'd have come up with something new. I'm sure there are a million things I could have shared, but even when trying really hard the same old stuff is what came to mind. I guess I'm pretty predictable that way.
Why am I even thinking about this? Oh, because I've had a song in my head for days & want to post the video for it in this entry. And whoever it is that reads this can roll their eyes just a little when they hear the sound of BNL coming from their computer speakers. Yeah, we've covered the fact that I adore them. I'm a loyal fan. Uh-huh, we already know. I'm loving this song right now though. It's stuck in my head & I can't stop singing it.

[Testing 123 BNL]

I'm predictable. I'm consistent. I'm loyal. Sounds like I'm describing a puppy.
Woof!

I'm it?!

Hey Becky!

Funny, after coming home tonight from seeing you for the first time in a year I read your blog, and you've tagged me! I'd have poked you if I'd read it before heading out for our adventures today.

Well the thing going around is to list 5 idiosyncrasies about yourself, and then pass it on.
Here I go with mine...

1. If I even think I may have just seen a bug of any kind anywhere near me I get itchy. Really itchy. All over. Ick. I don't do bugs.

2. My toothbrush does not live in the bathroom. Not even in a drawer. If we had a linen closet in there I'd consider it. The thought of poop-particles on something that enters my mouth icks me right out. (It lives on the dresser in my bedroom closet, and has a cover to prevent dust or anything else touching it.)

3. Speaking of entering my mouth I have food texture issues. I love the taste of beef, poultry & pork chops, but if there are any chewies present I won't touch it. If it's shredded/cut up and in something I am much more brave about it. (Like chicken enchiladas, deli-sliced turkey sandwiches or ground beef in pasta sauce.) I like my bacon crisp, don't eat ham & would prefer to stay far far away from anything still attached to a bone. (Meat is generally attached to the bones by chewies...) Gag.

4. I'm a detail person & a visual person. With a horrible short-term memory. I won't remember your name tomorrow if I meet you today, but could probably tell you the color of your eyes, what you were wearing, whether you had any jewellery or makeup on & how you carried yourself. (Who? Oh, the girl in the pink shirt with the blonde hair & green eyes who smelled like vanilla? Yeah, I remember her. Loved her watch. What was her name again...?)

5. That leads into this. I don't care if you're prettier than me, smarter, skinnier or whatever, but I will do my damnedest to try to feel on par with you in my confidence level. I have struggled with self-esteem & confidence throughout my life, and have done so much better in recent years to learn self-value & to like myself as-is. While others are trying to be the smartest, funniest, coolest or whatever, I am just trying to like myself when I'm around the rest of you. It takes effort to relax enough to be myself. There's no time to be the anything-est, but I sure am proud of me when I can communicate well & carry myself well in the presence of others. I will stress out and pray my heart out beforehand if I have to be around new people. This doesn't translate to when I'm working (If I'm shooting your wedding I'm totally different than if I'm at your birthday party as a guest. In work-mode I know what I'm doing, so I am totally outgoing. It's when I'm expected to be me in a socal setting involving new people that is nervewracking.)
(To really relax and be myself takes a level of trust on my part that not many people have reached. There are few people who know me really well, but I sure do love the ones who do.)
:)

Yeah, I'm a dork. That's okay. :) Now I can tag someone else! Ha!
Holly and Robin you two are it!

edit: Okay, so this morning, reading over this entry I am sure that the 5th one isn't an idiosyncrasy so much, but I'm leaving it since I can't think of one at the moment to replace it.

cuteness

It seems I haven't had much to say lately, but I did just download some cute pictures of my babe.

Two Sides

Well, there are two sides to every story. I spoke about my fears before Keith & Libby came. Now that they've left I'm wanting to talk about their visit again.
It went well. It was pleasant actually. They earned our trust, and began what I hope will be a wonderful relationship with Brandon. They spent time getting to know him and they shopped. Holy cow, did they shop! I hope they had fun. I know Brandon did.
Libby confided to Grandma Nadine that Keith had been so nervous about coming that he was physically ill & almost backed out. He was nervous too. We all were, I guess. I'm glad he decided to come anyway. It can be hard to face things sometimes, but I hope he found it worthwhile. I think so.
I didn't recognize Keith at first. Man, he has changed. Again, I guess we all have. Nine years will do that. Beyond the physical changes, he seems to have grown up some. This is a good thing. I adore his wife. Libby is every bit as likable as I envisioned. She was so sweet & good to my kids. Seriously, we all loved her. Another good thing.
I was worried about Vern, who I'm sure has his own set of feelings concerning this, but who is so quiet & hard to read. He was awesome. He took us all up to snowbird, and didn't swim much on Brandon's birthday, making sure they were comfortable around his family. (They didn't have their bathing suits here.) He played host well. Whatever he was feeling, I was proud of him.
So we're on new territory where they are concerned. I hope Keith & I both will be less afraid in the future. And that Vern & Libby will both continue to be wonderful & supportive spouses. Mostly, I hope that Brandon will be able to continue to get to know his other dad. He seems a little more sure of himself somehow. I'm so happy for him.

Libby, Brandon & Keith.

Kirsten

Well, little Vern has starred in a couple of posts (Life at Four and Shhhhh...) and I love sharing pictures of Elijah, since he's my baby and all. With Brandon's birthday and some new pictures of him, even he has been a reluctant star for an entry or two. So where's Kirsten? Well, I did post a picture of her, similar to this one the day after she turned eight.

She's not a wild and crazy four year old, a cute & drooling baby or a taller-than-me teenager. She's a quiet, active & creative soul with a beautiful smile and a great sense of humour. She's working on her cursive and still trying to earn the pink bedroom. She's a girly-girl in some ways & a tomboy at heart. She's my Kirstie-Leigh, and this is her entry. I love you sweetie.